The New Hotel AI Funnel: Discoverability vs. Transaction
Not all AI investments for the hotel industry are equal. Many solutions focus on transaction infrastructure, but discoverability is often the gating factor for success. AI hotel distribution has two components: being recommended and being bookable. Most hotels should focus first on being recommendable before investing heavily in booking integrations. It’s a classic case of […]
Moving Past ROAS as Marketing KPI
For years, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) has been treated as the gold standard for evaluating hotel marketing performance. But as traveler behavior evolves and the planning journey becomes longer and more complex, it’s clear that ROAS no longer tells the full story. A more strategic, full-funnel approach is needed. One that aligns marketing, revenue […]
10 Ways to Maximize Your Hotel’s Spa Listing on Spafinder
Spafinder isn’t just a directory—it’s a discovery engine for wellness travelers. With over 700,000 engaged users and unique distribution through Capital One and other partners, it’s a powerful tool in your spa marketing mix. But like any channel, you get out what you put in. Here are 10 ways to make your Spafinder listing work […]
Destination AI Conference: Cutting through “AI Slop” and Finding what Hoteliers Need to Know
The team at Cogwheel (Stephanie Smith, Mike Wylie and Mohammed Razib) attended the Destination AI Conference for Hoteliers in Washington DC on September 30, 2025. There is a lot of “AI slop” and every vendor is AI-first, AI-enabled or AI-augmented. This conference, in only its 2nd year, was a chance to take a pulse on […]
Empowering Women in Leadership: Insights from PCH Hotels’ Panel Discussion
PCH Hotels hosted a dynamic and heartfelt panel discussion focused on women in leadership, highlighting real-world experiences, hard-earned lessons, and powerful personal stories from three inspiring women who’ve carved their own unique paths to success. Moderated by Melissa Chambers, Senior Leader at PCH Hotels with over two decades in hospitality, the panel featured: Together, these […]
HOTELS Magazine Video Series: In Discussion with Stephanie Smith, CEO, Cogwheel Marketing
A hotel’s commercial strategy operates like a soccer team: The sales team offense; the marketing team midfield; the revenue management team defense. While sales focuses on building relationships and revenue management on providing actionable data, marketing makes the team tick—to be in front of the right guest at the right time. It takes collaboration to […]
GEO vs SEO for Hotels: 10 Comparisons
Key Takeaway: Your GEO should build on top of your SEO strategy. Let’s break down what changes and what stays the same. This blog was written as of Jul 16, 2025, and we will try to keep it updated as we learn more. 1 Unique Selling Points and Differentiators This still matters. Clearly define your […]
Innovating Hospitality: Recap of the E20X 2025 Finalists
Since Cogwheel first participated in the pitch at E20X in 2022, the Cogwheel team has made it a tradition to follow the promising startups showcased each year. E20X (Entrepreneur 20X), hosted during HITEC, is known for spotlighting the most innovative solutions in hospitality tech, and 2025’s competition didn’t disappoint. Here’s a look at the full […]
Crafting a Hotel Marketing Budget: Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
At the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference on June 17, Stephanie Smith of Cogwheel tried to change mindsets about how backwards most hotel marketing budgets are created. There are 3 ways to create a hotel marketing budget: 1 – Too Little – Take last year’s budget and add 10% 2 – Too Much – Take your […]
Case Study: Cogwheel Analytics gives hotels a competitive edge with AI
Cogwheel Analytics partnered with Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Labs to create an AI-powered Analysis and Recommendation Engine aimed at providing hotel clients actionable insights they can use to drive growth and build their competitive advantage in digital marketing. “The hands-on approach from the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab was instrumental in helping us rapidly prototype a solution that would […]